29 Apr 2005

A proposed film event at Manchester's Green Room is scheduled for 24 June and will be centred around Howard Walmsley's new film - provisionaly titled 'Earthquake Land'. Other shorts will include Howard and Ken Holling's recent 'Abduction', together with a new live performance piece by Ken and Graham Massey, based on the life of Martin Denny who died recently.

Arthur Baker's 'Return to New York' rolls into Toronto on Friday 6 May 2005 with an event that also doubles as the launch party for 'Waiting For The Sirens' Call' by New Order. The full line-up features Hooky, Junior Sanchez, Andrew Allsgood, Captain Z and Denise Benson. Tickets are now on sale priced $15.00 advance from Black Market Records, Rotate This! and Priape.

28 Apr 2005

As previously announced, New Order made a live appearance last night on Jimmy Kimmel Live. However, the studio audience got an unexpected bonus as after the TV broadcast finished the band continued playing with the following setlist:

Waiting For The Sirens' CallCrystalTemptationWaiting For The Sirens' Call (retake)Transmission

In the week that their new album 'Waiting For The Sirens' Call' was released in the USA, New Order put in a good performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC TV broadcast across the USA and Canada last night at 12:05am. They performed 'Krafty' and then the program went to commercial. When they came back Bernard said "I'd like to do this for Ian Curtis our singer of Joy Division who died 25 years ago this year, this is Love Will Tear Us Apart."

ikon& presents 'I Remember Nothing - A Joy Division Video Night' on 18 May at Barzooka in Blackburn. An unexpected treat from the Ikon Vaults featuring a rare chance to see The Joy Division Film by Malcolm Whitehead (Fac 9) not seen for over 20 years and his new 7 minute short She's Lost Control plus rarely seen Ikon/Factory footage.

27 Apr 2005

Just a quick reminder that tonight is the postpunk panel chaired by Simon Reynolds and featuring a video screening afterwards. Unfortunately, Howard Devoto has had to drop out of the panel, but he has been replaced by Jon King of Gang of Four and will be joined on stage by Paul Morley, Gina Birch, Richard Boon and Simon himself.

BBC 6 Music celebrates the life of the former Joy Division singer Ian Curtis, with 'Transmission' - a very special event in Manchester marking 25 years since his tragic death.

The band, originally called 'Warsaw', formed in 1977 and quickly gathered respect from influential people in the industry including Factory Records label owner Tony Wilson who signed them to his label. In 1979 they released their debut album Unknown Pleasures but rumours began to spread of Curtis' ill health: his epilepsy - reflected in his on-stage jerkiness - was becoming an increasingly difficult problem to manage. The group began recording their second album Closer and released the single Love Will Tear Us Apart but on 18 May 1980, just two days before they were due to leave for their first US tour, Curtis took his own life.

Now, 25 years after Ian Curtis' death, BBC 6 Music is holding a very special event at the BBC's Big Screen in Manchester City Centre. They are screening the Fact 37 'Here Are The Young Men' video which includes their performances at Manchester Apollo on 27 and 28 October 1979, and at the Effenaar in Eindhoven, Netherlands on 18 January 1980.

In addition they will be showing the band's full performances of 'Transmission' and 'She's Lost Control' for their only national TV appearance on the BBC's Something Else programme.

As well as these rare performances, BBC 6 Music will also be showing the Fac 211 Wired Joy Division feature, a documentary originally made for Channel 4's Wired TV programme in 1988, looking back at the legacy of Joy Division and the effect Ian's Death had on the remainder of the band, who went on of course to form New Order. The documentary includes interviews with Alan Erasmus, Tony Wilson, Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, Steve Morris, Paul Morley and the late Rob Gretton.

The event is being held on Wednesday 18 May at 7pm. It will be a chance to remember Ian Curtis and the legacy he left for music both in Manchester and beyond, as well as an opportunity to see rare performances from the band's tragically short two year career.

BBC 6 Music will also be remembering the life of Ian Curtis on air throughout the day. This will include the band's classic Peel Sessions from the BBC archive; showing the huge legacy the band left with unusual cover versions of Joy Division tracks, as well as talking to key figures in the band's career including Tony Wilson and Anton Corbijn.

20 Apr 2005

There will be a postpunk panel discussion at the Boogaloo in London on Wednesday 27 April chaired by Simon Reynolds (Blissblog) and featuring Howard Devoto, Paul Morley, Gina Birch and Richard Boon. The discussion will be followed by the screening of a 60 minute compilation video with footage of bands including New Order, the Fall, Cabaret Voltaire, Pop Group, Magazine, PIL, Orange Juice.

New Order have just fully launched their new official website at www.neworder.cc [Flash required] and it contains all the usual news, tour info plus ringtones, desktop wallpaper and buddy icons.

Wondering about the unusual web address? Well, following on from Nathan Barley's trashbat.co.ck, New Order has got in on the act with the unusual domain suffix 'cc' which is for the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

19 Apr 2005

Photographer Martin O'Neill is looking to track down anyone who attended the legendary Joy Division gig at Bowdon Vale Youth Club in March 1979. Martin is exhibiting his unique photos of the gig at Hale Library from 3-7 May. Talking to Dianne Bourne in an article in the Manchester Evening News he said "I remember the gig was really crowded - full of teenagers - but, let's face it, Bowdon Vale Youth Club was hardly the M.E.N. Arena. Those kids will be in their late thirties now, and it would be great to hear their memories of that night. Frankly, I can't remember too much, just when Ian Curtis started dancing it scared me to death."

If you went to the gig, Martin would like to invite you to the preview on 30 April. Email Martin at martin @ groovyshots.wanadoo.co.uk

The exhibition opens at Hale Library, Leigh Road, Hale, WA15 9BG (0161 912 5966) on Tuesday May 3rd at 9.00 a.m and runs until May 7th. Prints and postcards will be on sale.

An article by Dianne Bourne in yesterday's Manchester Evening News hints that Happy Mondays may play the MEN Arena in Manchester as part of their ongoing comeback. The article also reveals that the band has been rehearsing in the basement of Turnmills, where Shaun and Bez have a residency as part of Get Loaded. As for the long-awaited new album, apparently it's still "early days" but with Shaun now free of the shackles of ultra-restrictive court order that saw him virtually unable to earn money it is now a distinct possibility.

15 Apr 2005

The same Record Collector that has the AHW interview also has an extensive feature by Stuart Aitken on 808 State including interviews with Graham Massey, Gerald Simpson (A Guy Called Gerald) and Aphex Twin (whose current Analord series of releases under the guise AFX is well worth checking out). Gerald explains how the 808 remixes of Blue Monday and Confusion came about: "Jon Da Silva wanted a theme tune for his Hot night so me and Graham thought of doing a New Order tune, because they were the management of the club basically. It wasn't going to be used as a record or anything, he wasn't going to press it up, it was just basically to be played on his Hot night. So we did versions of Confusion and Blue Monday."

There's a half page article on Tony Wilson, F4 Records, RAW-T, Young Offenders Institute and why everyone should start a record label in the May 2005 issue of Record Collector. On using new technology to sell a recorded product, AHW says "I embraced it 10 years ago. My partner and I had a site which, for a while, was the only website in the world to have fully working encryption and a micro payment system. We believed in it from the start. We've been astonished at our stupid industry."

13 Apr 2005

Back in February, Cerysmatic Factory presented an exclusive live webcast of The Durutti Column's live show from The North Star in Shetland, Scotland. For those who want to relive the experience or if you missed it first time round, there is now a track-by-track download version of the gig.

Following on from last night's appearance on Mark Radcliffe, Vini Reilly will now be appearing on Gideon Coe's BBC 6Music show from 10:00 to 13:00 BST on Thursday 14 April ahead of the Islington Academy gig.

12 Apr 2005

It's short notice but Vini Reilly is making a guest appearance on the Mark Radcliffe Show on BBC Radio 2 tonight from 10.30pm BST. Vini will be playing a special set on Spanish guitar. Listen out for a special announcement!

Hopper fans will be interested to know of the new musical ventures of two of the ex-members:

Rachel Ratajski (formerly Morris) recently did a couple of songs live at a club night called Slappers at a small London venue called Ciz Biz. This performance comprised Rachel on vocals with solo piano accompaniment.

Paul Shepherd, who used to play guitar in Hopper, now plays in a new band called The Sound Junkies who are based in Tonypandy, Wales. The band is a four-piece formed in 2002 and comprising Paul Shepherd (guitar), Greg (the bass guitar), Blare (the drums) and Rob (vocals). A single 'In Audio We Trust' was released on 19 November 2004. They play the Telegraph in Brixton on 8 May.

"'If somebody kills themself they've had the last word. And what they're saying is 'There's nothing you can say, nothing you can do'. And there's nothing more frustrating than that." Deborah Curtis's voice buckles a little and her head dips, almost imperceptibly. It has been 25 years since her husband Ian, lead singer of influential post-punk band Joy Division, took his own life, aged 23. He left behind Deborah, their one-year-old daughter, Natalie, and a music career that had barely begun."

10 Apr 2005

Good luck to RAW-T tonight for their album launch party and live show at Ampersand in Manchester. The debut album 'Realise and Witness' is in the shops tomorrow having been available on download for the last week.

6 Apr 2005

This week's guest editors of City Life, the Manchester listings magazine, are New Order. They pose the questions to Anthony H Wilson who has a regular column called 'Wilson's Wisdom'. And as it says in the article, "it's good to see there's no bitterness between them". And the questions (and edited highlights of AHW's answers) please...

Q1: Could you give me some advice on how to remove some stubborn stains from my sofa? I inherited it from an office above the Hacienda, and there are lots of marks of different colours, which I just can't get off. And it smells. Any ideas?

AHW says: "Forensics is the new rock rock and roll and some detailed chemical analysis of said sofa would provide a whole new series of CSI: Manchester..."

Q2: What advice could you give me from the E-generation whose kids are now growing up and coming to the edge of Temptation? It's hard not to sound like a hypocrite.

AHW says: "... drinking a full bottle of Pernod while on stage can lead to one using a 15 inch Melodica as a plectrum."

Q3: I am thinking of starting a record label, but I suffer from a severe case of 'woollen ears'. Do you have any experience of this yourself, and how do I get around it?

AHW says: "Look for a band that really mean it (maaaan), who perform like there is no choice for them to be anywhere but on that stage, and who stand in a room with a kind of look and attitude that led Sir George (Martin) to sign a band whose demos he and the rest of the London music establishment hated."

Q4: I've made a little money and want to buy a nightclub. What advice can you give me?

AHW says: "It's a Fine Time to buy a nightclub"

--

Also in the same issue: Hooky on the latest albums, Stephen Morris reads up on his pop (a review of Rip It Up and Start Again), The Good Doctor Alan Wise on Establishment, and, just for good measure in a very Factory issue, a piece on Martin Moscrop's day job as head of music at City College.

Last Saturday's show at the Rhaaa Lovely Festival in Namur, Belgium was apparently a storming success. More details soon.

Meanwhile, further details have emerged about the cancelled Stoke-on-Trent gig. A contract to play was signed between the venue and the band and tickets should have gone on sale. Unfortunately it never happened but it is hoped that the date can be rearranged for early June.

The previously announced gig in Glasgow (as part of the 10 Days In May Festival) will take place at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut on a date to be confirmed.

Thanks to Paul for correctly pointing out that A Certain Ratio's 'Live in America' was previously re-released on CD as DOJOCD47 on DOJO Records via Castle Communications of West Germany. The 10 tracks on the disc were licensed by Mick Patterson PKA ACR in 1986. It's not yet clear whether the forthcoming Melodic Re-issues edition will contain any extra tracks.

5 Apr 2005

This album was originally released in 1985 and sold on cassette at their gigs. The band will also be headlining a series of gigs in London, Manchester and Glasgow (and maybe more) to promote the release.

This news follows hot on the heels of the announcement of a download-only live album of last year's Fac 511 show and LTM's reissue of I'd Like To See You Again (LTMCD 2438) and a new release 'Live 1980' (LTMCD 2443).

Premiering on a television set near you UK viewers from today is a new commercial for the Alliance and Leicester. Jeremy Kerr of A Certain Ratio was approached to write the music and it's now ready for broadcast.

In the grey days of late 1970s post-punk Manchester, youth culture was a serious affair: every musical performance was measured mostly by the conviction of its delivery. The term 'New Wave' opened up free vistas where acquired skills could once again be exercised after punk's monochrome blur. It could be applied to anything from a James 'Blood' Ulmer record to the latest Throbbing Gristle release, Magazine to Swell Maps. Move outside that terrain into Sun Ra, Parliament, Frank Sinatra and Martin Denny, and your options were suddenly without limit...

Then came Tony Wilson's Factory Club (at the Russell Club in Hulme) offering an open invitation to experiment that was taken up when Ken Hollings, Howard Walmsley, Eddie Sherwood and a few others decided to make some noise to accompany their 16mm silent epic Biting Tongues. A further performance followed a few weeks later, when Colin Seddon and Graham Massey disbanded their Post Natals project and joined up. The film itself, a flashing series of negative images, became a memory; the name remained.